Sighs Of Relief In Tampa As Isaac Moves Toward Louisiana – Anxiety In New Orleans As Experts Say “Should Rival Katrina”

Excerpted From Tampa Bay Times: As Tampa Bay residents and wary Republican conventioneers braced Sunday for the onslaught of Tropical Storm Isaac, the oddly inscrutable storm was headed further west than first predicted, suggesting the thousands of politicos and protesters gathered here could be spared a lasting bout of severe weather.

Weather forecasters were saying Isaac’s potential for damaging the Tampa Bay area was diminishing, however, with the sprawling storm expected to be hundreds of miles offshore when it reaches this latitude.

The region could still be in for rain and high-speed winds that might cause flooding and complicate travel on the bridges that connect the bay area.

Excerpted from Forbes: Tropical Storm Isaac Should Rival Hurricane Katrina

On August 24th, we warned on Forbes that Tropical Storm Isaac could pose a threat to energy markets and even rival Hurricane Katrina in its destructive power (Could Tropical Storm Isaac Turn Into Another Katrina?). While the computer models are still showing a substantial spread in solutions, it appears more likely that Isaac will make landfall somewhere near the Louisiana, Mississippi Gulf Coast. This track will provide the storm more time to intensify over the very warm water of the Gulf of Mexico.

The entire Gulf Coast from Lake Charles, LA to Panama City, FL should be aware of the latest forecast model guidance. The reason for this large spread is because the computer models are split between whether a trough will capture Isaac or not. As of 8AM Sunday morning, it appears Isaac will not be captured and as a result, a more westward track is most likely.